Mail-bag handler.



W. H; AKENS.

MAIL BAG HANDLER.

APPLICATION FILED JUN}: a, 1912.

Patented Nov. 12, 1912.

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WITNESSES.

W. H. AKBNS.

MAIL BAG HANDLER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1912.

1,043,892, Patented Nov. 12,1912.

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MAIL-B G HANDLER.

Specifidation of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 3, 1912. Serial No. 701,344.

Tooll whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM- H. AKnNs, a citizen of the United States, resident of 'Espyville'Station, in the county of Crawford and State-of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Mail-Bag Handlers; and I do hereby declare the following to .be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to mail bag catchers and dischargers.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efiicient formof apparatus by means of which the outgoing mail bag is delivered to the interior of the car with great accuracy, and the incoming mail is delivered to a support adjacent the track in which it is securely held, the apparatus being adapted to work with trains running at very high speed, and precluding the liability of the mail bags getting beneath the car, and being ground up by the wheels,

which frequently happens in the forms of apparatus now generally employed.

1 To these ends my invention'comprises the novel features hereinafter set forth and claimed. I g

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective I View of my improved apparatus in position 4o at its ends in the side-plates 5 of thedoor.

to operate in connection with a moving train. Fig. 2 is a side view with the parts in position where the outgoing bag has been discharged into the car and the incoming bag is engaged by the rack .for same. Fig.

3 is a section on the line '33, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is-a detail.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 2 designates a suitable postal-car provided with a doorway 3. Extending across the doorway 3 is the bar 4 which is trunnioned Carried by the bar 4 is thebag supporting arm 6, which has the square opening 7 through. which the bar-4 passes and said arm maybe moved back and forth on said bar '4 to adjust the'arm to the proper side of the doorway corresponding to the direction in which the train is 'moving. A collar 8 surrounds the arm '6 and is adapted to oscillate thereon, said collar being actuated by the spring 9 which is connected to said collar'and at. its inner end .tothe arm 6.

'The-collar 8 is provided with the projecti'ons; or fingers 10. This collar 8 forms a trip for the mechanism for discharging the Patented Nov. 12, 19112.

outgoing mail bag into the car, as fully hereinafter set forth.

In order to secure the arm 6 in horizontal -6 is not in use, it may be swung down into the. vertical position indicated in dotted lines Fig. 3. so as to be out of the way and not to interfere in any way with the closing of the door of thecar.

Located along the traclgat a suitable point is the platform 13 raised a suitable height above the track,'and carried by said platform is the frame 14 which supports the mechanism for discharging the outgoing mailbag into the car. This mechanism consists of the spring actuated discharging plate 15 which is hinged at its lower end as at- 15 to the platform 13. A spring 16 surrounds the shaft 17, and said spring acts normally to throw the or toward thewfi 'The rod 18 is connected to the rear of the discharge plate 15 and said plate 15 outwardly rod has the spring portion 18. The rod 18 passes through the opening 19 in the frame, and the outer end of said rod is provided with the collar or stop 20, which is adapted to engage the frame to control the movement of said discharge plate 14.

The discharge plate 14 is provided with the tongue 21 which is adapted to be engaged by the" lug 22 of the rocker-bar23 of the rocker-frame 24. The end portions 25 of the'rocker-frame are journaled in bearings 26 secured to the platform 13, and'racks 27 are carried by the vertical rods '28 of the rocker-frame; These racks 27 consist of the curved arms 29 connected by the bars 30. These racks are made flaring, that is, they are wider at the lower portion than at the top, as clearl puapltlise fully hereinafter set forth.

, en'my lnvention 1s 1n use,

discharge-plate having been drawn back and its tongue 21 engaged by the lug 22 of the rocker-bar 23 as clearly indicated in Figs, hand 3. The incoming mail bag is y indicated in' Fig. 3, for the the outgoing" mail-bag is placed .on the discharge-plate 15,

suspended from one of the fingers on the arm 6, said arm having been secured in the horizontal position shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

As the train approaches the platform 13 the arm 6 will engage the up er end of the rod 28 of the adjacent rack 2 and the engagement of the arm. 6 with said rod will act to move said, rod to the ri ht as shown in Fig. 2,, which movement of t e rod 28 will act to rock the rocker-frame 24 and move the rocker-bar 23 to the right, and cause the lug the discharge plate will be thrown through the open door of the car into the car, and with suflicient force to throw it well over into the car, as indicated in Fig. 3, so

. that there is absolutely no possibility of its being swept out of the car by the suction created by the fast moving train. In the meanwhile the incoming mail-bag suspended from one of the fingers 1Q moves into the rack, andas said rack assumes the inclined position shown in Fig. 2 the further movement of the car will act to draw the bag into the rack and the finger 10 will yield owing to the spring 9 and the incoming bag will be left in the rack as the train passes on.

- Owing to the flaring construction of the racks the bag will be wedged in the rack and there will be no liability of its being dragged therefrom by the moving car, and it 'is securely held therein so that there is no danger of its falling from said rack and being carried beneath the wheels of the train.

' I have provided'a very simple and efficient form of apparatus by means of which the outgoing mail bag is discharged with great accuracy through the open door of the car, and at the same time the incoming bagis received in the rack without danger of fall- .ing therefrom and as the parts composing the mechanism are few in number and of simple form. The device is not liable to get out of order and has many advantages over the form of apparatus now commonly in use.

moving said bar longitudinally to release said discharge member by the moving car.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a suitable support, of a spring actuated discharge, a rocking frame adapted to engage said discharge member, a rack carried by said rocking frame. and a projection on the car adapted to engage said rack to operate said rocking frame and release said discharge member.

3. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with asuitable support,fof a spring actuated discharge member, a rocking-frame adapted to engage said discharge member, a rack carried by said rockingframe, and atrip device carried on the car in the path of said rocking frame.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a suitable support, of a spring actuated discharge-plate, a rockingframe adapted to engage said dischargeplate, a rack'c'arried by said rocking-frame, a projection on the car adapted to engage said rocking-frame to release said discharge member, and a yieldingly mounted projection on the car from which the bag is suspended.

5. In a device of the character described,

the combination with asuitable support, of

a spring actuated discharge member, a,r0cking frame adaptedto engage said member, a

projection on the car in the vpath of-said rocking frame to release said spring. actuated member, a yielding support on'said car from which the bag is suspended, and a rack carried by said rocking frame, said rack being narrower at the top than at the bottom.

.6. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a suitable support, of a spring actuated discharge member, a rocking frame adapted to engage said member, a rack carried by said rocklng frame, an arm projecting out from the car, a spring actuated finger carried by said arm supporting the bag.

7. In apparatus of the character described,

WILLIAM H. AKENS.

Witnesses ROBERT C. ToT'rEN, JoHN F. WILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Sommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

